Sandie & Ian’s trip report

My husband and I have lived in Ghana for almost a year, working on a voluntary basis with a chain of low-cost private schools west of Accra.  In our free time we have travelled to different parts of the country, and I believe we have seen all the major points of interest.  We have used your Guide extensively (our copy is well-worn!) and found it immensely valuable.  We have noted just a few points where we believe it is out of date or inaccurate, and now that we are returning to the UK I have listed these, hoping that you may find then useful for a future edition.  They are not in order of importance, just in the order they occur in the book. 

Comments on the Bradt Guide to Ghana

p.69f: Buses may be the safest mode of travel, but we would hesitate to say they are the most efficient.  The STC seems to be on the verge of folding: it now runs seldom on some routes, never on others.  Some newer bus services are excellent, notably VIP which runs frequently between Accra and Kumasi.  They are certainly more comfortable than most tro-tros, although the same is not true of the Metro Mass buses (seating 5 across instead of 4).  But the long distance tro-tros are (in our experience) as fast as buses, and a lot more convenient.

You rightly point out that buses will drop passengers off along their route.  The problem is that they will not pick passengers up along their route – you have to buy your ticket at the original point of departure.  For example, we live some 15 miles west of Accra, in the direction of Cape Coast.  But to get to Cape Coast (or beyond) by bus, we would have to first go to Accra, in the opposite direction!  With traffic hold-ups, this can add hours to your journey – we speak from experience, having done this soon after arrival in Ghana, before we knew better!

The other problem with buses which run to fixed schedules is the difficulty of getting information about timetables.  Websites do not work; emails are not answered; phone calls may be ignored, or switched through to a fax machine.  If by any chance you do get through, you will probably be told that your query cannot be answered (‘we don’t know yet’) or given information which is later proved to be incorrect.

So we quickly learned to take our chances with tro-tros, and found it amazing that (as you state on p.70) you can just turn up at a station and be assured  that there will be a vehicle going where you want to go; no need to find out about times, just go when it suits you!

On the subject of tro-tros, we do not agree that it would be better to wait outside the vehicle until it is ready to depart (p.70).  The earlier you board, the better your chances of choosing the optimal seat.  We were usually quite glad to have just missed a tro-tro if this meant being first to board the next one.  Yes, you would be waiting a while for it to depart, but you would be able to choose the most comfortable seats – if you were really lucky, you might be able to get the ones at the front, beside the driver.  Not only do these offer the best views, they are generally more comfortable – and you do not have to get up to let people on and off!

p.76: As a vegetarian, I have lived in Ghana for a year, eaten out frequently, and experienced no problems at all. You paint an unnecessarily depressing picture.  It’s true that most local Ghanaian food is meat- or fish-based, but you can usually get red red (bean stew with plantains) or jolloff rice (cooked with tomatoes and onions).  And if you go to restaurants advertising ‘Continental’ (i.e. western) as well as local cuisine, you will find that pizzas and other vegetarian dishes are common.  Indeed, many of the restaurants where we ate had a specific ‘Vegetarian’ section on the menu, with at least 3 or 4 options.

p.77: June 4 has not been a public holiday in Ghana since 2000!

p.117: The Hotel Shangri-La is now called the Western Sun, but is currently closed for refurbishment.

p.126: The Tribes restaurant at Afia African Village is excellent, but you cannot see the sea!

p.129: The Centre for National Culture does not close at 3pm on Saturdays.  We visited between 4.30 and 5pm.

p. 138: It’s not really true that the National Theatre is ‘host to regular plays and dance performances’.  Plays are in fact very rare: the theatre is used more often for events such as religious rallies, graduation ceremonies, beauty contests etc, but most nights it is not used at all.   Finding out what is on is not easy.  When we first arrived in Ghana the website was not working, we could get no information by telephone, and even visiting the theatre in person (twice) got us nowhere.   The website is now functioning, but only gives information about the coming week.  There is no way of booking other than going to the theatre in person – difficult if you do not live in Accra.  However, I doubt if there is ever a problem about buying tickets on arrival; when we finally managed to see a performance there were no more than 30 people in the audience.

On that same evening, we planned to eat in the theatre restaurant, recommended in the Guide.  We found that the ‘International restaurant’ offered drinks only, no food, not even snacks.  It was too late to go elsewhere, so we went hungry!

p.150: In Winneba, the cemeteries mentioned are overgrown, especially the Settlers’ (European) cemetery – we could not get anywhere near the graves.  But there are a couple of interesting towers in Winneba which are not mentioned in the Guide.

p.151: The map of Winneba is unhelpful; it does not show the lorry park (tro-tro station), so we struggled to orientate ourselves on arrival.  The road to Lagoon Lodge is shown in the wrong place (unless the road on the map is meant to be the footpath from the Lodge to the beach).

At Lagoon Lodge itself, it is impossible to see the sunset from the bar (which is surrounded by a high wall).  And even if the wall was knocked down, the bar would not overlook the Muni Lagoon.  We walked some distance looking for the lagoon, but found only dried up mud.  If the lagoon still exists, it must be some way from the lodge.

p.153: In Mankessim, we managed to find the famous posuban shrine, but it is not on the same road as the tro-tro station.  In fact, it is about 500 metres up the road to the right from the roundabout, coming from Accra.

pp.164 and 178:  We could not find shared taxis between Cape Coast and Elmina at the places mentioned, but dropping taxis were cheap.

p.173: The Canopy walkway at Kakum National Park now costs 30 cedis each – a big increase on the 9 cedis mentioned in the book.

p.196: The map is misleading.  The scale indicates that it is about 2km from Agona to Busua, but in fact it is 10 (as stated on page 197).

p.207: We were disappointed with Ankobra Beach (‘almost breathtaking perfection’): it is so narrow, there is very little sand between the resort and the sea.  We thought the resort was quite expensive too.

p.226: It is possible to get a tro-tro direct to Ada Foah from Tudu station in Accra (there is a booking office specifically for tickets).

p.227: The Manet Paradise Holiday Resort is closed (for refurbishment?)

p.228: In one respect the facilities at the Maranatha Estuary Beach Club have improved on your description – they now have some flushing toilets!  Our problem (not stated in the Guide) was that there is nowhere at all to wash, shave etc.   The other beach camps were all closed when we were there in August.

p.263: We were not impressed with the Kekeli Hotel in Ho.  There was no water at night, and no mirror in the bathroom for shaving etc.  It was very noisy on Sunday morning, even before the church service started!  There were lots of children running around, and one even burst into our room.  We had chosen to stay there partly because the Guide mentions that car rental can be arranged for a fixed and apparently very reasonable price.  When we enquired, the receptionist said that we would have to negotiate with the taxi driver.  She arranged for him to come and meet us, but was otherwise not involved.  We had to return to the hotel to meet him (and he was nearly an hour late).  The price he asked was extortionate, but by that stage we had no alternative.  We bargained, and he agreed to lower his price, but not by much.  What we paid was far in excess of what we paid anywhere else.

The Freedom Hotel is now called the Bob Coffie.

p.264: We tried two of the Ho eating places listed in the Guide.  The Mother’s Inn offered only banku and fufu; the White House had no food at all.  We ended up having lunch at what we believe was a new restaurant; it was called the Royal Farm, it was close to the Kekeli Hotel, and the food was excellent.

p.268: At the welcome office in Amedzofe, the local guide said that there were two options: the waterfall walk and the mountain walk (as per the Guide).  He that we would be able to climb Mt Gemi, but would find the waterfall walk ‘too challenging’.  We are in our 60s but very fit, and as we had gone to Amedzofe mainly to see the waterfall, we insisted.   The guide was not kidding!  The first part of the walk was flat and easy, but then it plunged steeply downhill, and lost all semblance of being a ‘path’ – it was a long scramble over slippery rocks, clinging to a rope.  We managed it (with help from the guide) but both the descent and the climb back up were very difficult.  We wondered why there was no hint of this in the Guide – surely a warning would be appropriate?  Re-reading it afterwards, we wondered if we had in fact done a different walk, since we did not ‘come out at the three knee-deep pools separating the upper and lower falls’.   We ended up at the base of the lower falls – the ‘more ambitious’ walk mentioned?  But if there is an alternative (easier) walk, why did our guide not offer this – especially as he felt the waterfall walk would be too challenging for us?

p.284: The Wli Water Heights Hotel is a lot more than 50m from the turn-off for the tourist information centre.    A sign at the turn-off says 300m, and having walked it several times, we would say it is at least that.

p.291: We had to laugh when we read that the road between Accra and Kumasi ‘follows good surfaced roads in its entirety’.   On the contrary, much of the journey is on rough dirt roads; the bus has to travel slowly, with much jolting, and the trip takes 6 hours.  We found it amazing that the road between the capital and second biggest cities was in such bad shape; some people we talked to maintained that this was a deliberate political decision to keep business and finance in the south.

p.307: The book says there are 8 STC buses daily between Accra and Kumasi.  There are now hardly any (STC seems to have declined considerably, with few buses going anywhere).  But there is an excellent new company called VIP, which has a bus station not far from the main STC station.  You buy a ticket which specifies a bus and seat number.   Buses leave as soon as they are full – generally about every half hour.

p.312: On the map of Kumasi, the Sambra Hotel is in the wrong place, as is the Manhyia Palace (it is much further from the town/market than the map suggests).

p.313: The Four Villages Inn was pleasant enough, and the breakfasts were excellent.  But we considered it very expensive compared with what we usually pay in Ghana.  On our second visit to Kumasi we stayed in the Sambra Hotel which cost about a third of the price, and was more conveniently located.  It also has an excellent restaurant.

p.315: We were not able to find Aseda House, but there was a large hole in the ground where it is shown on the map, so perhaps it has been demolished.

p.320: We went to the Adae Festival in Kumasi, and it was certainly worth seeing.   What you said about photography was accurate, but the time given was not: the ceremony started well after 12 and was still in progress when we had to leave about 2pm.

p.355:  Entrance to Kintampo Falls now costs 7 cedis for non-Ghanaians.  We were there at Easter, and could not get near the Falls owing to the crowds of people wading, dancing and generally having a good time in the water.  The atmosphere was amazing – it’s obviously the place for locals to go on public holidays!

p.377:  We thought the Larabanga mosque was beautiful, and we did not suffer any of the problems reported by your readers.  We enjoyed a brief but hassle-free visit.

p.397:  The Hotel Myaga at Navrongo was very limited in terms of food.  It amused us that the price for a double room included only one breakfast!

Sandie & Ian

Abby’s updates

1. Prices are substantially higher than those in the book.  Hotels were about 25% more expensive on average.  The Kakum canopy walk is now up to 30 cedi.  Also, I was able to do the nature walk without the canopy walk by just saying that I was scared of heights (I’m not particularly, just was more interested in the nature walk).

2. The book mentions a bus between Mole Motel and Tamale by M&J Travel.  That does not seem to exist anymore.  The only bus between Mole Motel and Tamale is a Metro Mass bus that leave Mole Motel at 4 am.  That means, if you are planning on seeing animal and taking the bus, you pretty much have to stay two nights at MM.  (The bus arrives too late to see animals the night before).

Also, there is a guide who comes from Mignori to meet the morning walk safari and can arrange for visitors to go to Mignori btwn the morning and afternoon safari times.  They do a canoe safari during that time as well.  It lasts from 10 am – 2:30 pm.

3. There is a Relax lodge in Kumasi and in Tamale.  In Tamale, you tout its Indian food.  I had the food there and I thought it was fine.  However, the food at the Relax lodge in Kumasi is OFF THE HOOK.  Unbelievable.  I didn’t think I was in Ghana anymore.

4. In Kumasi, I stayed at the Four Villages Inn.  They arranged for me to go to the market with a woman who shows people around.  I thought that was useful.  Her name is Comfort and you could find her through Charity, the woman who runs Four Villages.

5. Boabeng Fiema had a guest house with 7 rooms.  I thought it was awesome in the forest.  Real highlight of the trip.  I didn’t stay in the guesthouse.

6. In Kintampo, the phone number listed for the Falls Executive Lodge is the personal number of an ex employee.  I don’t have the new number (of course) but you could note that.

7. On language, it might be useful to note that Ghanians take nouns and make them into gerunds.  It took me a while to figure out that was happening (so footing is walking, going to church is churching, bathing is bath-ing, curving is turning, etc).  Also, two key word concepts: Ghanians never get out anywhere.  They always alight.  And they don’t talk about younger and older siblings, they talk about junior and senior brothers and sisters.

8.  I stayed at the Safari Beach lodge near Dixcove.  Apparently, it has gone through management change.  The hotel is SO MUCH nicer than Green Turtle for not much more money.  However, I heard that the food at Safari Beach lodge is not that good now.  I never ended up eating there, I just ate at Green Turtle and walked back.

Abby

Detailed trip report from Glenn and Christine

We have just returned from a five-week tour of Ghana, where we used your guide extensively.  It was an invaluable key to points of interest and to practical necessities (e.g. It’s very late – where can we find a guest house near the bus station?).  Occasionally, though, the description in the guide seemed out-of-date, so we would like to offer feedback on the places we visited – the highs AND the lows.  Hopefully this will make the experience better for those who follow us, and reward the Ghanaians who are making a strong effort to provide service for tourists.

To understand our comments, it’s useful to know our perspective.  We are both teachers, one a botanist and the other an environmental planner.  One of us is a council member in our local city government.  Among other things, we teach courses in Conservation Biology and Ecotourism, so we are acutely sensitive to protection of natural ecosystems and tourism as a form of development.  We are both accustomed to traveling with backpacks and are not offended by inconveniences such as intermittent electricity (although we appreciate a hot shower, a clean beach, and a firm, level mattress as much as anyone).  We travel with our children, so our patience is not unlimited.

General observations

The guide’s positive outlook is appreciated, but should not be allowed to obscure real problems.  At certain points we felt that the guide was not sufficiently frank about the drawbacks of some locations.  For example, Dreamland Lodge (Ada Foah) is NOT actually on the beach.  The beach at Ada Foah is pretty in prospect but has substantial amounts of plastic rubbish and human excrement – beaches in the East are not of the same quality as those in the West.  Take note of the negative points in the comments below – they will save another traveler grief in the future.

It is worth noting that rangers in parks are primarily trained as guards, and have little experience in visitor services.  Although friendly, they will often not take the initiative to set up activities.  You need to have a clear idea of what you want to do at a park, and discuss it with them early and patiently.

Most of Ghanaian society has little experience with tourism, and hence little understanding of tourist needs and expectations (this includes many people working in hotels, parks, and restaurants).  Travel requires patience, good humor, and prior notification (e.g. ‘We would like to join you for dinner this evening – may we order ahead?’).  Calling ahead to make reservations is important even if it only gives rhetorical leverage when you show up.  It is worth investing in a cheap cell phone (the whole country runs on cell phones).

We cannot emphasize enough the old advice: Learn a few words of Tri!  Trying to speak the language shows that one are willing to come halfway to meet the local people.  It breaks through their shell of suspicion.  As often as not, it will lead to effusive generousity and boundless good will.

Accounting skills are generally weak – know prices ahead of time and check your bill.  Although we rarely felt we were being short-changed, it was common to find mistakes in simple arithmetic on the bill.  One frequent source of confusion was prices cited in old cedi (before devaluation in 2009).

Several times the Bradt guide description seemed to be based on plans that have not been realized and self-descriptions in advertising which is not accurate.  For example, Shai Hills Resort does not actually have a swimming pool.  The Luxury Safari Experience at Gbele Game Preserve was never fully realized.

Specific observations (* are good; # are bad)

La Paradise Inn, Accra * – Although the guest house is pleasant enough within its walls, the surrounding neighborhood is an unattractive urban area with little to interest a traveler.  Although only 150 m from the ocean, access is difficult and the beach is trashy and dangerous.

Stumble Inn, Elmina ***– A pleasant lodge on the beach with landscaped grounds and well-maintained, comfortable Africa-themed lodging.  Very friendly and accommodating for families.  The beach is clean – a great place to play.  We really enjoyed SI, and plan to use it when we return with students.

Cape Coast Castle ***- An important historical landmark well maintained.  Our guide was amiable, open minded, and well-informed.  Note also, there is a good sampling of craft shops in the outer courtyard.

Cape Coast ** – A charming old town with a colonial district in good repair.  Very lively fish market.  Recommended for strolling.

Kakum National Park *** – The rainforest is in reasonably good condition (to my eye as a forest ecologist), although it has clearly experienced human disturbance.  Easily accessible.  A good interpretive display, convenient dining area, and competent guides.  The canopy walkway has been overplayed – one sways and bounces on the walkway but the guide gave no ecological interpretation of what we saw.  All in all, the walkway is probably not worth the very high price.  Little wildlife visible from the main trails (bushmeat hunting?).  Warning: the park dining area closes at 3:30 PM.  If you are staying in the park lodge (below) order dinner in early afternoon and collect it when the dining area closes.

Kakum National Park Lodge * – A utilitarian lodge within the park and ca. 200m from the dining facility.  Plumbing, television, locks, etc. were in poor repair.  In its favor, it was clean, cheap, and very close to the park headquarters.  Not to be confused with the private lodge ca. 5 km south of the park entrance.

Ezile Bay Resort **** – A beautiful sweep of clean beach in a little cove beside (but isolated from) a fishing village.  Restful lounges and tables under shady palms.  Meals, reading, lounging in a comfortable open-air pavilion.  A varied interesting menu (including very fine local lobster).  Rooms were basic, but easily excusable considering the other amenities.  The resort is operated by (and managed from) the Busua Beach Resort.  As a result, there are no managers in Ezile Bay – we sometimes felt like none of the staff had any authority to make decisions.  The chief drawback is the 13 km of rutted muddy road after one leaves the paved road to Busua.  Our taxi driver demanded (and received) extra payment above the agreed fare.  Contrary to some descriptions, this resort is NOT surrounded by rainforest – to the landward side there are nothing but oil palms.

Cape Three Points ## – Billed as a tourist activity from Ezile Bay, above, this turned out to be a five-hour slog down a sun-blasted service road through the oil palm plantations.  Drive to Cape Three Points – don’t walk.  The light house itself is quaint, on a breathtaking headland.  Outbuildings are in poor condition.  There is some disagreement as to what it costs to visit the lighthouse – everyone seemed to want a few Cedis (I ended up paying 7 Cedi).

Akwidaa Forest Reserve ** – A relatively undisturbed patch of rare coastal rain-forest within 1 km (i.e. an easy walk) of the Ezile Bay Resort (not to be confused with the small patch of rainforest at Cape Three Points).  Jimmy is a capable guide, to found through the resort.

Akobra Beach Resort ** – A well-maintained resort on a pretty sweep of beach.  Nicely landscaped grounds, professional staff, and excellent food.  The new management have put their effort into the dining and sleeping facilities; the beach area is a little run down.  The management is currently opening a trail to the site of a colonial fort on the bluff behind the hotel.  This is one of the most expensive places we stayed.  Although comfortable, it had neither the friendly atmosphere of Stumble Inn nor the breathtaking beach of Ezile Bay.  The coast road to Axim is un-drivable – collapsing due to undercutting by the sea.

Axim ## – A seaside slum in which we did not feel safe.  Axim has a fort and a historic district like Cape Coast, but the individual buildings are collapsing, the streets are dirty, and the inhabitants seem surprised to see tourists.  We felt like intruders.  Technically it is possible to walk into Axim from Ankobra Beach Resort, but we do not recommend it.

Ankasa National Park *** – An excellent example of tropical rainforest – probably the best ever-wet forest in Ghana (the others are only seasonally wet).  Like other national parks, Ankasa has a system of trails and guides, but the reception facilities are not well developed.  As far as we could tell there are no dining or lodging facilities.  The park is isolated, nearly in Cote d’Ivoire, and the access road is not passable in the rainy season (we had to walk the last 3 km to the gate).  The park is administered through an office in Elubo which is difficult to contact (no response to emails, mail enquiries, telephone), and seems out of touch with the rangers who are actually at the park.

Melody Hotel, Takoradi # – A cheap, functional hotel whose main virtue is its location across the street from the STC station.  When we visited, the energy-saving light bulbs were so dim that we didn’t believe the establishment was open at first.  We could barely see our food and used flashights in our rooms.

Treasureland Hotel, Kumasi * – A business-oriented hotel in an unappealing part of town.  The hotel has rather pretentious fittings (and a higher price to match), but the service was only fair, and locks, plumbing, etc. often malfunctioned.  There seemed to be no manager – none of the young staff had the authority to make decisions.  The nominal “supervisor” did not seem to care about us – quite unprofessional.  The chief virtues of this hotel were cleanliness and proximity to the University.

KNUST Botanical Garden, Kumasi ** – A peaceful oasis of tropical vegetation in the chaos of eastern Kumasi.  Very fine displays of bamboo and flowering trees.  Many labeled specimens.  Beautiful butterflies.  Like most botanical gardens, it was almost deserted.

Ashanti Cultural Center, Kumasi ** – A collection of craft shops, a museum, and a reasonably good restaurant.  The many shops had craftsmen actually weaving, carving, casting brass, etc. while we watched.  Most were happy to talk about their work.  Because of the slowness of the restaurant, we didn’t actually get to see the museum.  The urban surroundings are chaotic.

Kumasi Trotro Station ## – People, densely packed, flying in every direction.  A vision of hell!

Adanwomanse Community Cooperative *** – A guide explains kinte weaving and cocoa production, and leads you around the village.  Very patient, engaging, and low-pressure.  A great contrast to Bonwire, where our taxi was mobbed by touts.

Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary ** – A plaeasant forest reserve with interesting examples of wetland habitat.  The forest has an obvious (to a forest ecologist) history of human disturbance, but still has much natural vegetation in a functioning forest ecosystem.  Beuatiful lakeside.  The guide was patient and knowledgeable.  We were not able to see the monkeys.

Bobiri Forest Reserve *** – A quiet guesthouse surrounded by a high-quality example of tropical seasonal forest.  Birdwatch from your armchair on the porch!  At least one of the guides (Jonathan) is a professional botanist, providing excellent guiding.  Edna is a highly efficient house-manager overseeing several good cooks.  She overcharged us, but went to elaborate lengths to track us down and reimburse us when she discovered the error.  Some of the other guides are less knowledgeable.

Boabeng Fiema Monkey Reserve ** – An excellent chance to see two monkey species at close range, and to roam around a village.  The elderly guide ran out of patience with our monkey fascination (tourists are supposed to have only a superficial interest).  Lodging is simple but adequate and cheap.  Food was primitive and expensive.  All-in-all it was a good example of a community-run conservation & tourism enterprise.

Kintampo Falls, Techiman # – A nice waterfall surrounded by over-used, trash-filled grounds.  And we paid 20 cedi for the privilege of viewing it!

Wechiau Hippo Reserve ### – One of the worst experiences of our trip.  The receptionist/guide was drunk.  He was barely able to go through the motions of registering us, getting us fed, and performing the guide services.  He insisted that we rise at 5:45 AM to see the hippos, but showed up himself at 6:20, tucking in his shirt tail.  Then we spent 40 minutes driving around to locate a canoe, a paddle, and a boatman.  We spent four hours in a canoe in the blazing sun, and saw no wildlife at all.  Nevertheless, the guide kept insisting that we go on.  At the end, he demanded to be paid for all that time (I suspect he was looking for money, not for hippos).

Mole National Park **** – Sensational.  Easily viewed wildlife in their natural setting.  Accessible natural forest.  A comfortable lodge (with swimming pool) in the evening.  Highly efficient staff and a knowledgeable guide.  Our only quibble is the length of time required for food preparation – a common complaint.

Gbele Wildlife Sanctuary * – A comedy of errors.  Despite phoning ahead and receiving confirmation from the office in Tumu, we were completely unexpected when we arrived.  The six armed guards/guides had no idea how to handle guests (“If they are not poachers, what do we do with them?”).  The “Luxury Safari Accommodation” turned out to be four large wall tents on concrete pads.  The kitchen area wasn’t functional, the administration building was closed, and the primitive toilets had not been cleaned recently.  We went on an early morning guided walk, but saw no wildlife – apparently this area suffers very severe poaching.  It was interesting to talk to the guides about the practical business of running a reserve, however.  We speculate that the much-heralded lodge fell victim to the economic downturn of the late 2000s when it was half finished.  Guides were barely literate, and had difficulty drawing up the bill.

SWOPA Sirigu Women’s Cooperative *** – A mature, intelligent guide took us to see several family compounds, answering all our questions about construction, family structure, diet, agriculture, etc. equally well.  The staff served us an excellent lunch.

Comme Ci, Comme Ca Hotel, Bolgatanga * – Simple, functional lodging.  The management seems to be building a new set of rooms with interesting village-inspired architecture, and landscaping the grounds.  The restaurant, much praised in the Bradt guide, produced adequate food, but very slowly.  In fact it took  more than an hour and twenty minutes for our food to arrive (it appeared after I walked into the kitchen and asked – I know this is bad form but I was exasperated).  The wait-staff seemed even less interested in customers than the usual.

Bongo Hills *** – A random group of men and boys gave us a delightful walking tour of the hills and discussed farming and the local community.  We then went into the village and made a contribution to the gruff old chief.

Tongo Hills ### – The other worst experience.  After charging us 40 Cedi admission, the young guide immediately asked us for a tip.  We balked.  Perhaps because of this, we were given a perfunctory tour of the village and rocks nearby.  He seemed to know nothing about geology or plants.  Several times, the guide stopped to chat on his cell phone.  We were not taken to the hills, which we explicitly asked to see.  We were introduced to the chief, who tried again to extract money from us.  We politely declined.

Catholic Hostel, Tamale * – Cheap, functional lodging.  Nicely landscaped grounds and a pleasant thatched pavilion serving beer.

Kyabobo National Park ** – We didn’t go deep into the park, so we can’t really give it a fair evaluation.  The guide took us on a walk to two hills nearby which were supposed to have undisturbed forest.  In fact, most of the forest was disturbed by small agriculture.  Nice views from the hill top.  Again, no wildlife.  The guide seemed dutiful but uninformed (“It’s like that because God made it”).  The park lodges outside of Nkwanta were nicer than usual, fairly new and most of the appliances worked.  Staff seemed to have difficulty drawing up the bill – a common problem.  We had a good meal one evening at the Gateway Hotel in Nkwanta.  The food was good, and promptly served.  Grounds were pleasing, although half the site seemed to be frozen in the process of construction.

Wli Waterfall *** – A pleasant short walk through the forest to view a spectacular water fall.  Massive amounts of water generated its own wind and spray.  Good views of thousands of fruit bats.

Waterfall Lodge ** – A clean, nicely landscaped lodge with an attentive elderly host.  Good food served in a thatched pavilion.  Beautiful views of the falls.  And quite cheap.

Mountain Paradise Inn ** – Mr. Tony runs the lodge as part of a rural improvement project.  Despite the appearance of naturally forested mountainsides, most of the landscape is highly impacted by small cultivation.  There is a little semi-natural forest along the stream, and some good swimming holes at beautiful waterfalls.  Access is difficult – one needs to be fit to negotiate the steep trail.  Food was good, and service was generally professional, but there were some communication problems.  Staff gave Glenn misinformation about trail locations resulting in a needless five-hour walk along the road up Mt. Gemi.  Indeed the staff seemed more interested in the business of running food and lodging than about advising guests on activities like hiking.  Note: this seems to be one of the only places in Ghana where one can hike without a guide.

Traycourt Liesure Centre Hotel,  Kpong * –  This was cheap, functional accommodation efficiently delivered.  The hotel seemed to cater to church groups.  The cheerful manager made sure we had the taxi we needed.

Ayles Bay Liesure Spot, Akosombo * – We only had lunch here – the lodge was apparently filled by weekend guests coming up from Accra (there is a noticeable halo of tourist demand extending ca. 100 km radius around Accra).  The view of the river and bridge were pretty, and we took a canoe ride while we waited for our food (which was very long in coming).

Kpong Somanya Road ## – We tried to drive through this string of villages on market day with some (light-skinned) friends.  Traffic was paralyzed for the whole distance, and we sensed some real hostility from the people on the street.  You MUST have a Ghanaian driver.

Dreamland, Ada Foah # – A pleasant but cramped beach lodge oriented to backpackers.  Contrary to advertising, the lodge is not on the beach – the shadeless, litter covered beach is 200 m away.  We scouted the lodges at the mouth of the Volta but found two of the three to be closed.  The third lodge seemed to be running a 24 hour reggae festival.  Beaches were pretty viewed from a distance, but covered with broad swathes of plastic rubbish stretching hundreds of meters.  Local villagers seemed to be using the beach as a toilet very casually.  Expensive vacation homes are being built on the river side, but the town in general is rather rundown.  Again, tourists seemed to be viewed as intruders.  We left after one night.

Sealane Hotel, Prampram * – The beach at Prampram was cleaner than Ada Foah, but nowhere near as clean as the western beaches.  Rocky reefs and ship wrecks give visual interest.  This was the best seashell collecting location of our trip.  The hotel was professionally run.  On the downside, the hotel was far from the beach.  The landscaped grounds described in the Bradt guide have all been sacrificed to build more rooms – we stayed in a construction site!  Access to the beach was 700 m down a side road through a bier garten which seemed to be functioning as a brothel.  We concluded that the towns of Ada Foah and Prampram are not oriented to ecotourists and foreigners, but cater to other forms of tourism originating in the nearby cities.

Shai Hills Reserve ** – A good example of southeastern savanna habitat – open forest, grassland, and scattered rock outcrops.  We took a 3 km walk (66 cedi!) with a knowledgeable guide in the blazing sun.  The walk was punctuated by explosions at the nearby rock quarries.  Baboons were abundant at the entrance, but we saw no other wildlife.

Shai Hills Resort, Shai Hills * – Across the road from the reserve.  Grounds are forested, providing pleasant shade (necessary after the hot walk in the reserve).  The rooms are above the normal standard, with air conditioning.  Most appliances worked.  Once again, the resort seems to be run by youths – no one has any authority, and you can wait a very long time for something as simple as a receipt.  Contrary to the hotel’s own advertising, there is no swimming pool.

Aburi Botanical Garden ** – Cool, shady grounds with a breeze and a view out over the plains.  There is a charming group of old colonial buildings in varying stages of decay.  Excellent restaurant, good food promptly served!  The botanical collections are only so-so, and not very well labeled.

Aburi Craft Market ** – One of the best places we found for wood carvings and baskets.  Unfortunately the market is strung along a major road, making us worry about the children.

Glenn and Christine

Updates from all over

Cassie Lo has just sent these detailed updates based on a long trip around Ghana (she travelled in Oct 07 but it still looks very useful stuff).  

-STC bus from Accra to Kumasi was 8 ghana cedi instead of 7.5

-There is no such hotel or guest house any longer called Golden Gate hotel in Donkorkrum.  They say it hasn’t been there for some time.  There is however a guesthouse called St. Michaels at a different location.  The rooms were very very nice, clean, with friendly staff and great food (we had an omelette, toast and tea for 3.5 Ghana Cedi).  There were wardrobes, desks and a self contained working bathroom all for 12 ghana cedi.

-The STC bus from Tamale to Mole left at 2:00.  The guide states sooner.  You must buy your tickets 2-4 hours in advance for 2.5 ghana cedi.  We bought our ticket at 9 am for the 2 pm departure and we were already passenger number 40 out of about 60.

-Mole to Larabanga will cost 2.5 ghana cedi for a hired car.  Larabanga to Damongo 1-5 ghana cedi depending on the source of the ride.  May have to wait one or two hours for a taxi or tro.  We hitched a ride with a motorbike…two of us with the driver for 10 ghana cedi from Larabanga to Damongo.

-Damongo to Damongo Junction 2 ghana cedi for a tro tro.  Be sure to arrive by 11 am otherwise the availability QUICKLY diminishes or even disappears of rides after that.

-Damongo Junction to Tamale, 1.5 hours, 1 ghana cedi

-Dankorkrum to Agordeke, 30 minute ride.  Roads mostly dirt but sufficiently ok compared to other dirt roads.  Guide book says they can be nearly impassable and maybe with rain…but they were some of the better dirt roads I’d seen.  Maybe they’ve worked on them?  some of the roads are partially paved as well.  I don’t see them being impassable even with the rain…maybe slower going, but definitely not impassable. 

-Ekye to Donkorkrum, mostly paved the whole way…1.5-2 hour ride, 1.5 ghana cedi

-Ho Hoe-Galaxy Hotel.  Double bed is really the size of 2.5 king size beds.  Single the size of king size bed.  Save the money and go for a single.  Double 30 ghana cedi, single 20 ghana cedi.  They have hot water here and EXCELLENT BREAKFAST!

-Akosombo-Zito Guesthouse.  15 ghana cedi for a double.  Again, huge beds, 2 put together.  If just two people, opt for the single.

-Kokrobite-Big Millies.  Single 9 cedi, Loft (open platform with a roof…mattresses on the floor, mosquito net…about ten of these) 3.5 cedi.  Bring your own lock if you intend on sleeping on the platform or no valuables at all.  They will and can get stolen.  They do offer a safe in the office of the place with the man who runs it.  He acts like your father and seems VERY trustworthy.  He will warn you all about the safety precautions before allowing you to pay for anything.  it’s like a father daughter talk.  LOVED big Millies.  Drumming/Dancing on Friday nights, Live reggae on Saturdays.  I believe a massage can be arranged as well for 10 cedi?

-Cape Coast-Savoy Hotel. 12 cedi for a double (normal size double) but they have REAL mattresses not foam!  Great price for a decent room.

-Akwada-Green Turtle. 12 double hut, provides mozzy nets

-Kumasi-Presbyterian Guest House-14 cedi for a double. 

-Tamale-Central Guesthouse-double 12 cedi, crap room.  no running water at all, bucket showers, doors wouldn’t lock or even shut some of them.  STAY SOMEWHERE ELSE

-Mole National Park-Mole Hotel, 22 cedi for a double.

-Bolgatanga- Sands Garden, 9 double.  Simple with no real amenities but clean!

-Kintampo-Midway. 5.5 cedi-felt like a whorehouse.  Only place available.  Mattress was so thin we could feel the wood beams so we put it on the floor…used condoms under the bed, rotting oranges, bugs.  Dirties place by far.  Bring your own sheet!  Sheet was DISGUSTING.  Best shower in Ghana though!  the pressure was amazing even though the drainage sucked.  Very friendly staff.  You’ll awake to a loudspeaker yelling the tro stops for hours nonstop

-Donkorkrum-Saint Michaels, 12 cedi double.  Nice rooms, bucket showers, self contained bath.

-Kpando-Blue of Ur Meditation Center.  Closed and moved to the main road out of Kpando (distance unknown).  Old site is overgrown and REALLY creepy like an old cemetary.

-Wli Falls to Ho Hoe.  Transporation scarce (waited one hour and not one vehicle passed by).  Worth hiring a taxi to wait for you and picking people up on the way back.  About 10-15 people were waiting and we all hitched a ride with a work truck full of cement.

-Currency-Don’t carry a bill larger than 5 cedi!  People can’t make change.  If you get money out of an ATM, take it into the bank for change.

-Mole National Park-2.5 cedi per person for approximately 2.5 hours of walking safari.  elephants at watering holes generally between 9 and 11 am.

-Larabanga-See the mosque, see the Salia Brothers.  If you see the mosque through the visitors center its 2 cedi with an additional request for donation (don’t give in unless you’d like).  Fridays are best with the exception of obstructed views of canopies.  All the doors are open so you can actually kind of see inside.  They slaughter a cow and disperse it amongst the community (sad!).  Approximately around 11 am is when they do the traditions at the mosque and the cow sacrifice if you care to see it.

-Restaurants-Expect at least half of the menu to be unavailable no matter where you go

-Takoradi-Ebase Internet no longer exists

-Green Turtle Lodge-Please note that the road there is a rough long road.  If you want to leave on Sundays it’s nearly impossible due to religious efforts and location.  For 18 cedi you can arrange a Green Turtle Lodge vehicle (if available) to take you to Agona.  Try to arrange asap for this as most travellers don’t find out until Sunday they are likely stuck there for one more night.  You can also have the bartender call a taxi but it’s very expensive (30-40 cedi just to Agona) and Agona is also small so another 60-70 cedi to Takoradi.